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  • Moving to Evidentia 4, Whatever Version You’re Coming From

    Moving to Evidentia 4, Whatever Version You’re Coming From

    Moving your research to a new version of Evidentia can feel risky — you don’t want anything to get lost. The good news: Evidentia 4 has a clear, tested way to bring your data forward, no matter which version you’re using now.

    Two paths for moving to Evidentia 4: users already on Evidentia 3+ just need a new license key since their database opens as-is; users coming from Evidentia 1, 2, or 3 back up their database, restore or merge it in v4, then get a new license key

    Evidentia 3+ users: almost nothing to do

    Evidentia 4 opens your existing Evidentia 3+ database right away. Nothing is deleted, changed, or converted.

    The only thing you need is a new license key — Evidentia 4 uses a different kind than Evidentia 3+. Get your new key on our license key page before you open your database. That’s it.

    Coming from Evidentia 1, 2, or 3

    Older versions of Evidentia save your data in a different kind of file, so Evidentia 4 can’t open it directly. But there’s a simple, well-tested way to bring it over — the same way that already worked for Evidentia 3+ users.

    Moving Your Database — Step by Step

    1. Back up your current database.
    2. Install Evidentia 4 and get your new license key.
    3. In Evidentia 4, choose Restore or Merge and pick your backup file.
    4. Check that your research looks right.

    Restore replaces everything in Evidentia 4 with your old data. Merge adds your old data without deleting anything new. Either way, Evidentia 4 already knows how to read backup files from every past version — it fixes up the old format for you automatically.

    Four steps to migrate to Evidentia 4: back up your database, install Evidentia 4 and get your new license key, restore or merge the backup file, then confirm your subjects, sources, and claims look right

    One more thing: moving your database does not move your photos, PDFs, and scans. You need to copy those files yourself into Evidentia 4’s EvidentiaSoftware/Records folder. If you miss any, our attachment audit tool will find the broken links so you know exactly what to go looking for.

    One extra note for original Evidentia 3 users

    If you used the very first Evidentia 3 (not 3+), two things won’t come over automatically: your Lineage Tracker history and any custom claim types you created. This isn’t new to Evidentia 4 — it’s the same limit that 3+ users ran into, and we already wrote up a simple fix for it. The same fix still works.

    Evidentia 4 needs a new kind of license key, no matter which version you’re coming from. Your old key won’t work. Get your new key on our license key page before you open your database in the new app.

    If anything doesn’t go the way this page describes, reach out. We’d rather fix it than have you stuck.

    — Ed Thompson, Evidentia Software

  • Three Ways to Attach a File in Evidentia — and When to Use Each

    Three Ways to Attach a File in Evidentia — and When to Use Each

    One of the most common questions I get from new users is some version of: “I attached a file — but where did it actually go?” Nine times out of ten, the answer traces back to a choice made at the moment of attachment without much thought.

    There are three ways to attach a file in Evidentia. Each one is right for a different situation, and knowing the difference before you have hundreds of attachments in your database will save you real time later.

    Bitmoji with a confused expression and question mark

    3 Ways to Attach a File in Evidentia at a Glance

    ModeWho manages the fileWhere it livesBest for
    Managed Copy — LocalEvidentiaYour computerSingle-machine researchers
    Managed Copy — CloudEvidentiaDropbox, OneDrive, or Google DriveResearchers working across two computers
    Link OnlyYouWherever you put itResearchers who run their own file library

    Option 1: Managed Copy — Local Storage

    This is the most common choice, and for most researchers working on a single computer, it’s the right one.

    When you attach a file in Evidentia using Managed Copy with local storage, Evidentia makes a copy and places it in the Records folder inside your database directory. From that point on, Evidentia knows exactly where the file is. It appears in the Record Library, you can open it with a double-click, and you can safely delete or move the original — Evidentia has its own copy.

    There’s a longer-term benefit here too: because Evidentia manages these files, it can move them for you later. If you decide to switch to a custom storage location or add cloud storage down the road, Evidentia handles the migration — copying files to the new location and resyncing the database so every attachment reference stays intact. You don’t have to touch the files manually.

    The Attach File dialog in Evidentia showing Managed Copy selected with local storage

    When to use it:

    • You work on one computer
    • The file is a typical research document — a census scan, a birth certificate image, a photograph
    • You want Evidentia to handle the organization so you don’t have to think about it

    Option 2: Managed Copy — Cloud Storage

    Same idea as Option 1 — but the Records folder lives in the cloud instead of just on your local machine. That means your source files sync between computers automatically, right alongside your database.

    To use this, you first need to have a cloud provider configured in Evidentia (File → Settings → Storage). Once you’re there, look for the Sync Media checkbox on the cloud provider configuration screen. This is the setting that tells Evidentia to include your Records folder in the sync. Without it checked, your database syncs but your attachments stay local.

    And if you ever want to switch providers later — say from Dropbox to OneDrive — Evidentia’s provider switch tool handles the move for you, copying your database, records, and backups to the new location and resyncing all attachment paths across all your databases.

    The cloud provider configuration screen in Evidentia with the Sync Media checkbox highlighted

    When to use it:

    • You work across more than one computer — desktop at home, laptop at the archives
    • You want your source files and your database to stay in sync automatically
    • You already have Dropbox, OneDrive, or Google Drive set up in Evidentia

    Evidentia supports three cloud providers: Dropbox, OneDrive, and Google Drive. All three integrate directly with Evidentia’s storage settings.

    A note on Google Drive

    Google Drive is a supported cloud provider in Evidentia, but it does not support offline bypass mode. If you do research in places without reliable internet — archives, rural courthouses, planes — Dropbox or OneDrive will serve you better. Google Drive works fine if you’re always connected.

    Option 3: Link Only

    This one is for researchers who want to run their own file library outside of Evidentia — their own folder structure, their own naming conventions, their own system. Link Only respects that.

    Instead of copying the file, Evidentia stores a reference to wherever the file lives on your machine. The file stays exactly where it is. Evidentia just remembers the path.

    Two tradeoffs to know about. First, if you ever move, rename, or delete the original file, the reference in Evidentia breaks. A future post in this series covers the Attachment Audit Tool, which helps you find and repair those broken links — but it’s maintenance that Managed Copy avoids entirely.

    Second, because Evidentia doesn’t own linked files, it can’t move them for you. If you later change your storage location or switch cloud providers, linked files stay where they are. You’ll need to move them yourself and re-establish the links.

    When to use it:

    • You have an existing file organization system you want to keep
    • The file is very large and you don’t want to duplicate it (a long video, a multi-hundred-page PDF)
    • You’re comfortable maintaining the connection between file and reference yourself

    How to Choose

    Bitmoji with a confident expression — problem solved

    Start here:

    • Working on one computer? → Managed Copy, local storage. Done.
    • Working across two computers? → Managed Copy, cloud storage. Check the Sync Media box in your cloud settings.
    • Already have your own file library and want to keep it? → Link Only. Just know that file moves and storage migrations are on you.
    • Not sure yet? → Start with Managed Copy local. You can switch to cloud later and Evidentia will move everything for you.

    The Record Library Confirms Your Choice

    The Record Library in Evidentia showing files with Dropbox and OneDrive provider badges

    Once files are attached, the Record Library (File → Record Library) shows you how each one is stored. Files managed through a cloud provider display a small provider badge — Dropbox, OneDrive, or Google Drive — so you can tell at a glance where each file lives. Linked files show their original path. It’s a useful reference when you want to audit what’s in your database.

    If you have questions about how to attach a file in Evidentia, I’d love to hear from you on the contact page.

    Ed Thompson signature

  • Your Filing Cabinet, Redesigned: How Categories Work in Evidentia 3+

    Your Filing Cabinet, Redesigned: How Categories Work in Evidentia 3+

    Evidentia categories are how Evidentia 3+ keeps your research files organized — in the app, on disk, and across cloud storage — all from a single field.

    One of the first things I notice when genealogists share their research databases is the file pile. Hundreds of scans, photographs, and downloads — often named whatever the camera or FamilySearch decided to call them. IMG_4821.jpg. Record-download-1.pdf. scan001.png. Finding the right file later becomes a test of memory, not research skill.

    Here’s how it works — and how to build a category tree that works for years to come.

    What’s Changed (for Evidentia 3 Users)

    If you’re migrating from Evidentia 3, you’ll notice that Source Type and Photo Class are gone. They’ve been replaced by a single Category field where you type your own label. Instead of choosing from a fixed list, you define the categories yourself.

    And here’s something that makes the transition easier than you might expect: Evidentia 3+ handles the conversion for you.

    Importing an older backup?

    When you restore a backup from Evidentia 3, Evidentia 3+ automatically converts your existing file paths into categories — so your files land in the right place in the Record Library tree and on disk. No manual sorting required.

    For brand-new users, none of that applies. There’s no old system to unlearn.

    How to Build a Category

    A category is made up of words separated by dots — and the key idea is that you start with the broad record type, then add more specific detail as you go.

    Category input field in Evidentia 3 Plus showing a record category being entered in dot-notation format

    Take a photograph from the 1880 US census. You could categorize it simply as census. That works. But if your collection grows to include census records from multiple countries and multiple decades, census alone won’t help you find anything quickly. Add .us and now you have census.us. Add .1880 and now you have census.us.1880 — every image from that year in one place.

    The dots are just separators. Each word you add narrows the category one level further. Here are some examples:

    CategoryReading it out loud
    census.us.1880Census records → us → 1880
    vital.birth.maVital records → births → Massachusetts
    military.wwiiMilitary records → World War II
    land.deed.nhLand records → deeds → New Hampshire
    photo.familyPhotos → family

    You decide how many levels to use. Two or three is typical. There’s no required depth.

    How Evidentia Categories Work: Two Jobs, One Field

    Here’s what makes Evidentia categories worth thinking through carefully: each one does two things at once.

    Job 1: It Shapes the Record Library Tree

    The Record Library is Evidentia 3+’s dedicated space for browsing all your attached files. Switch to Tree view and your categories become the branches. A database with files categorized census.us.1880, census.us.1900, and vital.birth.ma produces a tree like this:

    Census
  us
    1880  (3 files)
    1900  (7 files)
Vital
  Birth
    Ma  (2 files)
    Record Library tree view in Evidentia 3 Plus showing attached files organized into category branches with file counts

    Click any node to see only those files. File counts include everything beneath — so “Census → us” shows all 10 census files at once.

    Job 2: It Organizes Your Files on Disk

    When Evidentia manages a copy of your file (the default), the category determines the folder it lands in on disk: EvidentiaSoftware/Records/{database}/{category-path}/. A file categorized census.us.1880 ends up at EvidentiaSoftware/Records/thompson/census/us/1880/.

    macOS Finder window showing the EvidentiaSoftware Records folder organized into category subfolders matching the dot-notation categories

    Open that folder in Finder or File Explorer, and it reads like a research library. Which, technically, it is.

    A Few Practical Tips

    Use the same spelling every time. Evidentia treats census and Census and census-records as different categories — each will create its own separate branch in the tree and its own folder on disk. Pick a spelling for each word and keep it consistent. All lowercase is a sensible default.

    You can change a category later without losing the file. If a category isn’t quite right, update it. Evidentia automatically moves the physical file to the new matching folder. You don’t have to hunt it down manually.

    Don’t try to plan every category before you start. Begin with a handful for the records you actually have right now. Add more as your collection grows. The Record Library’s category filter searches by partial match — typing census will find census, census.us, and census.us.1880 alike — so even a broad category will help you find things.

    A Starting Point for Most Researchers

    If you want a ready-made framework, this covers the majority of records most genealogists work with:

    • census.{country}.{year} — e.g., census.us.1880, census.uk.1871
    • vital.{event}.{place} — e.g., vital.birth.ma, vital.death.ohio
    • military.{era} — e.g., military.wwii, military.civil-war
    • land.{type} — e.g., land.deed, land.probate, land.will
    • church.{type} — e.g., church.baptism, church.marriage
    • photo.{subject} — e.g., photo.family, photo.headstone

    Treat it as a starting point, not a prescription. Evidentia categories are a tool for your research — build them around the records you actually have.

    As always, if you have questions about how you’ve organized your own categories, I’d love to hear from you.

    Get the Latest Version →
    Cursive signature reading Ed in blue ink on white background
  • Challenge Yourself with the Evidentia Lineage Challenge

    Challenge Yourself with the Evidentia Lineage Challenge

    Did You Know That Evidentia v.3 is for Gamers?

    That’s right! A brand-new feature of version 3 that was quietly rolled out – and you probably haven’t even noticed yet – is the Lineage Challenge.

    This feature adds a bit of gaming to your Evidentia experience and rewards you for successfully proving each parent-child relationship.

    Ready to play? 🙂

    Get Started With the Lineage Challenge

    See that little star up in the upper left-hand corner? Click it.

    The Lineage Challenge screen will be opened.

    Clicking the Lineage Challenge Rules box will bring up the rules of the game:

    The rules are simple. Prove a parent-child relationship, and you are Level 1. For each parent-child relationship in that same DIRECT line, Evidentia will reward you with another level in the Lineage Challenge. Evidentia will calculate the longest direct line.

    For each parental couple in a level (generation), you get a star. Prove just the father-child relationship, the star is silver. Prove just the mother-child relationship, the star is silver. Prove both the father-child AND the mother-child relationships, and the star is gold.

    So for Level 1, you can earn one star, silver or gold. For Level 2 you can earn up to two stars. For Level 3, up to 4 stars, etc…

    Reach Level 3, and new challenges will be unlocked. That’s just 3 parent-child proofs!

    The Real Fun Begins

    Now you get to work adding sources, cataloging claims, analyzing evidence, and writing up your conclusions. If you need help getting started with this, be sure to take a look at the Evidentia Step-by-Step walk-through on the Training and Support section of this website.

    Once you have finished writing your conclusion and are at the point where you can generate a Genealogy Proof Report, you are ready to unlock your Lineage Challenge achievement! One tip: be sure that you deselect the review button. I didn’t notice that I had left this selected at first, and could not figure out why the Lineage Challenge wasn’t unlocking for me.

    One tip: be sure that you deselect the Review button. I didn’t notice that I had left it selected at first, and could not figure out why the Lineage Challenge wasn’t unlocking for me.

    It makes sense, though. If your conclusion is still being “reviewed,” then you haven’t “proven” it yet, have you? But if you honestly feel that more evidence is required, then please do leave the Review box checked. I’m just sharing my mistake with you so you won’t do the same thing. 🙂

    Achievement Unlocked!

    I have now achieved gold star in Level 1 of the Lineage Challenge by linking my great-grandmother Deluna (Brown) Swanay to her parents John S. and Serena (Baxter) Brown.

    I’ll admit that the 80s gamer-girl (and past Tempest arcade champion) in me loves this new feature, and I’m looking forward to racking up more stars. I have no idea what new challenges are unlocked at Level 3, but I’ll let you know once I find out! 😀

  • Where to Find Help with Evidentia

    Where to Find Help with Evidentia

    While attending the Southern California Genealogical Society’s Jamboree earlier this month, I had the opportunity to chat with quite a few people about Evidentia Software.

    What most surprised me was the number of people who have Evidentia… but don’t use it.

    And why don’t they use it? The most common reason was, “I don’t have time to learn it.” 🙁

    I’ll be honest: there is a bit of a learning curve to using Evidentia Software. So I decided to put together a list of resources to help you get up and running or find assistance when you need it:

    1. The Evidentia Companion – This “companion” book focuses on the features you need to be productive with Evidentia as quickly as possible. Read the table of contents and sample pages from each chapter in this blog post. The book is available in in hard copy (book) and PDF formats. Visit the Evidentia Store for more information.
    2. The Quickstart Guide – The Quickstart Guide pulls together the 4 tasks in an easy to follow, one page per task, format. Visit the Evidentia Store for more information.
    3. The Evidentia User Guide – The most complete, in-depth resource for using Evidentia is right here on this website. Download a copy, or read it online.
    4. Evidentia Step-by-Step – Learn the 4 Tasks of Evidentia, from entering a source to finalizing a proof report.
    5. Training and Support Pages – Video tutorials, help guides, and tips and tricks are all available on the training and support pages.
    6. Talk to Other Users – Got questions? There is an active Evidentia community on Google+, as well as a support forum on Google Groups. Prefer Facebook? Join our brand-new Evidentia Users Group on Facebook.
    7. Join the Mailing List – You won’t want to miss our monthly newsletter, which contains a “Quick Tip,” as well as news and updates about our latest products.
    8. Contact Us – When all else fails, you can always contact us directly for support. 🙂

    What suggestions do YOU have to help new users get started using Evidentia?

  • How to Analyze a Claim

    How to Analyze a Claim

    Learning to analyze genealogy evidence is one of the most important skills a researcher can develop. This 4-step framework helps you evaluate every claim systematically and build toward reliable proof statements — the same approach that underpins the Genealogical Proof Standard.

    “I love Evidentia, but I am just not sure how to write an analysis.”

    I have heard this more than once, from users on Google+, in Google Hangouts, and at conferences. Many users feel intimidated by the analysis process, even with the help of books such as Thomas Jones “Mastering Genealogical Proofs”

    What I want to try to lay out below is one strategy for analyzing your claims. It is certainly not the only way, and I don’t claim its comprehensive, but it will get you started to thinking about your claims in the right way.

    Step 1 – Write a statement summarizing what you could conclude from this fact as if it were the only source and you were convinced it was accurate.

    This is not just a duplication of the claim itself. This is where you can capture what is implied by indirect evidence, or calculate a birth date based on an age. It’s also where you can clarify what a lack of evidence (Negative evidence) says about the fact. For example:

    Concluding a birth date from indirect evidence, and including a calculated value (I used the Age calculator):

    Claim:

    The 1830 US Census – Gilford, NH – David Thompson claims that as of 1 June 1830 the household of David Thompson included one male between 70 and 79.

    Analysis Step 1:

    “Since David is documented as the head of household in this census, the implication is that David was born between Jun 2 1750 and June 1 1760.”

    Concluding supporting information about a death based on negative evidence:

    Claim:

    The 1850 US Census – Gilford, NH – Levi B Thompson claims that David Thompson is not found in the 1850 census for Gilford, NH.

    Analysis Step 1:

    “This supports the belief that David died before June 1, 1850.”

    This is the statement further analysis will try to support or disprove. It also provides a statement to compare with the other sources.

    Step 2 – Write a statement summarizing why you or others might consider this a weak source.

    Perhaps this is an authored work with no citations and unknown informant. Or maybe it is an image of an original source, but the image is difficult to read.

    Claim:

    The Vital Records, NH – Death – Levi B Thompson claims that David Thompson was born in Saulsbury, Mass.

    Analysis Step 1:

    “The evidence is direct, however the information is secondary, being provided in the death record of his youngest son, Levi. It reasonable to assume David shared that information with his son, but it is not known who provided that information on Levi’s death record. By itself this data is inconclusive.”

    You want to communicate with a future reader that you are aware of any possible weaknesses this claim has.

    Because the next steps involve comparing this claim with claims from other sources, it is a good idea to perform Steps 1 & 2 on each claim for this proof BEFORE proceeding to Step 3. Yes we are bouncing around a bit, but remember our goal is to analyze this evidence in the context of ALL the evidence.

    Step 3 – Write a statement that indicates how the information in this claim compares to information in other claims.

    Is the conclusion that can be drawn from this claim consistent with the evidence in other claims? Does it say something totally different?

    Here is a statement about a claim that is NOT in line with other claims:

    Claim:

    The Revolutionary War Pension applications for the surname Thompson claims that David Thompson was born ca 1757 Guilford, Stafford Co., NH

    Analysis Step 1:

    “The estimated year of 1757 is later than that supported by the other evidence.”

    Here is a statement about a claim that IS in line with other claims:

    Claim:

    The 1790 US Census – Gilmanton, NH – David Thompson claims that in 1790 the household of David Thompson included one male over 16.

    Analysis Step 1:

    “This is consistent with other records that imply that David was about 33 in 1790.”

    Step 4 – Summarize YOUR position on this evidence

    This is where you will address any concerns raised in Step 2, as well as address any inconsistencies noted in Step 3. For example,

    Claim:

    The Revolutionary War Pension applications for the surname Thompson claims that David Thompson was born ca 1757 Guilford, Stafford Co., NH

    Analysis Step 1:

    “It is unclear who provided the information for the approximate birth year. The evidence is useful as a clue for further research, but it is not reliable for drawing a conclusion. For the reasons noted this evidence is being discounted in coming to the current working hypothesis.”

    Repeat Steps 3 & 4 for every claim and now you are ready to write your conclusion!
    Maybe. More complex research problems may require more thorough analysis.

    Also, feel free to customize this approach. For example, I don’t use Steps 2-4 every time, like in the case of a simple claim based on an obviously solid source. Sometimes I reserve Steps 3 & 4 for the conclusion (more on this later).

    This is just one strategy for approaching an analysis, but for those who feel stuck it just might get you moving.